The Media Council deemed an article on immigrants to be exclusionary

Published: 23 November 2017

Béla Lugosi, the actor best known for his famous role as Dracula, as well as Rudolf Kárpáti, sabre fencer and Zsuzsanna Kossuth, the founder of the first military hospitals were amongst the subject matters of animations and films discussed at the Media Council’s weekly session. The Media Council of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority passed decisions on HUF 44.6 million worth of subsidies for animated films and episodes of series through the Macskássy Gyula Tender and HUF 1.7 million worth of funds for production support through the Escher Károly Tender. The Media Council deemed an article published in Magyar Hírlap to be exclusionary.

The Media Council provided over HUF 44.6 million worth of funds for the production of six animation films and episodes of animation series in the second round of this year’s Macskássy Gyula Tender in the framework of the Hungarian Media Patronage programme. Roland Tóth’s animation film entitled Bela pays homage to Béla Lugosi by presenting the actor’s budding career and the intertwining of the person and his roles. Ervin B. Nagy’s series entitled Cserebogarak (May-bugs) recalls the youth of major Hungarian champions. Following the episode entitled Egér (Little Mouse), focusing on Krisztina Egerszegi, the episode ‘Kárpáti’ is set to follow, dealing with the six-time Olympic champion sabre fencer Rudolf Kárpáti. Zoltán Miklósy’s series Janó Manó és az elveszett harmatcseppek (Johnny the Wise Elf and the Lost Dewdrops) and Csaba Máli’s series entitled Szupermalac és Űrpatkány (Superpig and Spacerat) are to be expanded with new episodes. Attila Kondor is set to produce a series of animated paintings entitled Belső Könyvtár (Inner Library) with apparently no main character, thus turning the viewer into the main character. A characteristic feature of the animation is that it consists of images created with oil painting technique on canvas or using traditional instruments. Katrin Ann Orbeta and Géza M. Tóth’s series Gombi és Csusza (Mash and Periwinkle) focuses on the adventures of two inseparable friends, an earnest mushroom boy and a featherbrained snail.

Through the ad hoc tender named after Károly Escher, András Novák received an immediate subsidy of HUF 1.7 million for the production costs of a planned documentary. Through his film, the director will attempt to honour the exemplary life and work of Lajos Kossuth’s youngest sister, Zsuzsanna Kossuth, who was at the forefront of the fight for quality patient care at the time of the Hungarian revolution of 1848 and whose commemorative plaque will soon be unveiled in New York. Following the production of the film, the director receiving the subsidy must submit the completed material in the Media Patronage Programme’s next documentary tender.

Magyar Hírlap published an exclusionary article

The Media Council imposed a fine of HUF 75 thousand and required the media service provider of Magyar Hírlap and its online version to publish a statement on the infringement due to the exclusionary nature of the article published on 9 August entitled Fekete földrész (Black Continent). The author described the immigrants arriving from Africa as a homogenous group of people unable to integrate into European societies and one that will eradicate European civilization. The newspaper shall publish the statement on the front page of www.magyarhirlap.hu within three days of entry into force of the resolution in a way in which the entire information can be read continuously for a period of seven days from its publication.

During the examination of the bids received for the Budapest 98.6 MHz regional community radio frequency, the Media Council has once again called upon one of the bidders, Manna Vision Media Kft., to submit additional documents.